Book Launch at Tintagel – March 2024

The twelfth of March was an auspicious day when the second part of my life journey was released. It takes a huge amount of time and effort from an author as well as their publishing company to produce a book. When the day of completion eventually arrives it feels rather surreal!

I was delighted that Blake and Wycke Malliway from Crossed Crow Books were in the area from Chicago and arranged to join me for this event.

Their excitable energy and infectious smiles lift the spirits of those around them. It is a pleasure to be in their company.

Lorna who owns the Healing Star in Penzance has been a constant support, providing books and some of her stock at the events.

A delightful group arrived at the Wooton Inn on yet another wet and windy day.

One in particular, was the person who invited me to a new development circle twenty-eight years ago when I attended my first psychic workshop.

It was the first time I attended a spiritualist church. I mention her in my first book and was delighted when she moved to Cornwall. It was wonderful to have her there with me.

Others who attended have become good friends over the years and I appreciate their genuine support.

Speaking about my journey and the books I have published flows easily, as I do not see it as a formal talk, it feels more like an informal ‘chat’, encouraging the group to ask questions and make comments whenever they wish.

Cassandra sat nearby and said that I did splendidly and that she is proud of me. I am grateful for her constant support throughout the last fifteen years.

After a wonderful afternoon, Blake and Wycke wined and dined Cassandra and I at the Tintagel Brewery Bistro. An evening full of fun and intriguing conversation.

So there you have it, both books are now published. What an exciting journey it has been!

Both book are available from Crossed Crow Books, the Healing Star and Amazon.

March 18, 2024 0

The Creation of Morvargh the Dark Sea ‘Oss

At the start of 2017 I contemplated acquiring an ‘Obby ‘Oss of my own so that I could be a rider. I originally searched for the skull of a small horse asking the advice of David Pitt who owns and rides Coppertown Mari. I purchased the skull of an Icelandic foal with Viking heritage, a significant find as my place of birth was at the site of an ancient Viking settlement.

Here is an article about horses in Anglo Saxon and ancient Viking history:

“Hwær cwom mearg? Hwær cwom mago?”

Where is the horse gone? Where the rider? (The Wanderer)

Both Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian warriors, particularly nobles, loved their horses. They might prefer to fight on foot, swinging sword or axe with their men (unlike the Normans) but to own a horse meant status, rather like owning an expensive car does today. A king might direct a battle from the saddle but most of the valuable steeds would be led to the rear, safe from harm, before a battle. When asked to fight as cavalry in the early 11th century, ‘against their custom’, English warriors were so uncomfortable that they preferred flight. A mounted knight, isolated high in his saddle, cannot be one with his men. Perhaps it is this factor which led, following the Norman conquest, to the terrible widening of the social gulf betwixt noble and yeoman; a distance which had been relatively small in comparison in the egalitarian days prior to 1066.

Horse Worship

Horse worship in Northern Europe dates back to the Bronze Age. The horse, particularly the white horse, was seen as a sacred and magical animal associated with a particular god or as a totem of the warrior-king. Many Indo-European religious branches show evidence for horse sacrifice, and comparative mythology suggests that they derive from an original Proto-Indo-European ritual.

Pagan reverence of the horse, including its phallus, seems to have been linked to the worship of the fertility god Frea Ing / Yngvi Freyr and so outraged the Catholic Church that a complete ban was imposed in Northern and Western Europe against religious recognition or veneration of the horse in any form.

Thegns of Mercia

David Pitt ‘birthed’ a number of ‘Obby ‘Osses that perform in the folk world. I arranged to send the skull to him after purchase. He then kept me updated with video footage explaining the work required to make it robust. He explained the skull’s condition and the adult teeth were still embedded deep within the jaw as they had not yet emerged. I discovered foal was born and bred on an Icelandic farm, but unfortunately they do not always survive the severe weather or they are undernourished.

David worked on the foal over a period of 3 months and constructed silver ears and a tongue for her. I sent him teal baubles for the eyes that he attached within the eye sockets. David also constructed a pole along with fixtures and fittings so that the jaw had enough movement to proved a wonderful ‘snap’.

A good friend Craig Weatherill informed me the Cornish name for seahorse was ‘Morvargh’.

Three months passed without me seeing or holding Morvargh, but I knew my ‘Oss was in expert hands! David Pitt kindly travelled from Wales to deliver her in person on Beltane 2017.

When David left, it was time for me to work on Morvargh. I had already created a new dress for Penkevyll with new mane and tatters plus two new hearth dolls, so my creative energy was flowing.

I began work on the mane by fitting blue Hessian material to the skull. I then had the lengthy task of braiding strands of wool constructing 40 braids using all of two large balls of wool. The braids were then sewn to the hessian.

When her mane was complete, I attached 120 pearls to it and larger mother of pearl shells to the centre parting.

A starfish and other shells were added to the skull using a glue recommended by my wonderful friends John and Sue Exton. They have had plenty of experience in decorating Mari Celeste and Mari Seren. I tied ribbons to the sides of the skull along with cockleshells that make a wonderful sound. There are Pirate rings in her ears and the teal dress was constructed from a sheet and netted material.

Morvargh was the first Sea ‘Oss to be created in Cornwall and her debut was at Penberth Cove on a beautiful warm sunny day.

It was a wonderful experience to introduce Morvargh to the Cornish sea. Our bond has strengthened during the time I worked on her image and we naturally merged together as one.

Morvargh has been the inspiration for two more Sea ‘Osses who have recently appeared in Cornwall and I was delighted to see her displayed in the new Museum of Magic and Folklore in Falmouth. (July 2022).

After 2 years of sleeping Morvargh has grown up and she now has a darker image.

July 19, 2022 2

Boekka’s 10th Birthday – Memories

The year 2020 has many special dates and anniversaries but unfortunately the Covid Virus prevented people from celebrating in the way they had planned. August 8th marks our Cornish Guise team Boekka’s 10th birthday. So much has happened in this time.

The following photographs of Boekka in the days when our ‘Oss Penkevyll briefly performed as Penglaz the Penzance ‘Oss.

Mazey Eve 2009

Devon and Cornwall Pagan Conference 2010

We were in the developmental stages of creating a Guise team that could travel to other parts of Cornwall and the U.K., however we did not realize that Penglaz was not permitted to perform outside of Penzance (although this now seems to have changed).

2011

When Boekka and our ‘Oss were no longer required in Penzance this set us free to re-name our ‘Oss and perform anywhere we desired. It took a while to change our image and the following photograph was at her naming ceremony on 6th March 2011.

Boekka then made it’s debut with Penkevyll at Spring Equinox 2011 in Crean St Buryan. The Teazers were now working on choreographed dances with a band consisting of a hurdy-gurdy and drummers.

Creating and running a Guise team is hard work organizing practices, events etc. A few more members joined which inspired my son to teach a Morris team alongside the existing Guise team. Some of the community did not agree with this inclusion as they considered Morris dancing an English tradition rather than Cornish.

In 2011 we attended various events shown in the following photographs.

Cornwall Pride 2011

It also seemed to be a year for media work! We appeared with Sue Perkins on the Television program All Roads Lead Home and also Paul Merton’s Caravanning Adventures.

Rochester Sweeps Festival was our first weekend away to an event and Kent is 340 miles away. Penkevyll caused quite a stir as it seemed that no one in Kent had seen a skull ‘Oss before.

2012

In 2012 the Morris side connected to Boekka had 12 members. More dances and events were introduced and as we had no musician at this time, the teams performed with percussion only while I taught myself to play melodeon. We hired a minibus and travelled to Scotland in March to perform at the Scottish Pagan Conference.

Boekka performed at the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic’s Charm Day event in Boscastle.

We also performed at Godolphin Fair

In Marazion on a hot summer day.

It did not take long for me to learn tunes for Boekka that were composed by my son.

He also played percussion on occasions for Teazer dances choreographed by me.

Teignmouth Folk Festival

Pasty Day Redruth

2013

By 2013 some of our members left for various reasons and then new ones joined us. Due to a lack of regular commitment in 2012, we were unable to reach a high standard of performance as we had a limited number of good dancers. My son then taught new members the Morris dances. A local man who was a Cotswold Morris dancer joined us and also rides Penkevyll on occasions. He is still a member of Boekka now.

Bodmin Riding Heritage Day

North Inn Pendeen

Lands End

May morning on Chapel Carn Brea

2014

In 2014 two more members left the Morris team and it was difficult to get new recruits as performers were more interested in Cornish performance. My son tried to maintain a high standard of performance that some found difficult to cope with. We continued with the few dancers we had along with the Cornish Teazer and ‘Oss side of Boekka that remained strong.

Teignmouth Folk Festival

Wreckers Day of Dance

Lands End

Bodmin Riding Heritage Day

Marazion

Lands End

Chapel Carn Brea

St Pirans Day

St Pirans Day – we usually team up with the Whippletree band in the processions

Chepstow Wassail

The first All Hallows Dark Gathering 2014

We continue this journey in Part 2!

August 9, 2020 4

Boekka’s 10th Birthday – Memories 2

2015

In 2015 my son moved away from the area to pursue his career. I took over the role as teacher for the Morris dances as well as Teazer dances, but was also needed as a dancer. I was unable to play music at this time, therefore most dances were done with percussion.

Chepstow Wassail 2015

Boekka acquired another ‘Oss rider. As he was the shortest one, Penkevyll did not tower above the other ‘Osses as she had in previous years. The rider was also a founder member of a local Morris team, so I danced with them on a few occasions.

St Pirans Day Redruth 2015

Trewellard Beer Festival

Wreckers Day of Dance

After Wreckers Day of Dance, it was evident that the Morris team was not progressing despite our efforts and I decided to close it down. I tried to keeping it going, however the difficulty of recruiting in Cornwall and maintaining a high standard of performance was not possible. This provided more time to concentrate on Teazer and ‘Oss performances and our involvement with the Morris team.

All Hallows Dark Gathering 2015

At this event I performed with the local Morris team while Cassandra performed with Penkevyll.

2016

2016 was a busier year, as well as performing with Boekka we attended many events with the local Morris team. It seemed to work well as our ‘Oss rider performed in both.

Chepstow Wassail 2016

Fowey 2016

Handfasting Event

Boekka was asked to perform at a Handfasting in Lamorna. Our other rider who lives locally volunteered for this one. The torrential rain outside, meant Penkevyll was well and truly soaked when she arrived for her performance that evening!

St Pirans 2016

Lostfest 2016

All Hallows Dark Gathering 2016

It was a busy summer, Cassandra and although I worked hard with the local Morris team, it did not satisfy me. On our arrival in Boscastle Friday evening for the Dark Gathering, certain incidents confirmed that it was time to leave the Morris team. After a heated discussion between Cassandra and the founder member of the Morris team, he announced that not only was he dismissing her from the team, but in retaliation, he would not ride Penkevyll at this event. Fortunately, another Morris dancer attended who was not performing at the event and kindly offered to stand in.

2017

In 2017 when Cassandra handed on the role of Head Teazer to me, I was then able to concentrate solely on this performance without dividing my energies. Life with Boekka settled into a positive routine and the energies improved immensely.

Chepstow Wassail 2017

Cassandra focused on her drumming and met excellent percussionists who assisted in her development.

St Pirans Day Redruth 2017

While I teased Penkevyll at this event, Cassandra played percussion with a folk band known as Whippletree.

On Beltane 2017 we gave Penkevyll a total change of image, discarding unwanted residue from the past for a new beginning. Penkevyll had a new mane, new dress and her tatters are now Cornish colours of black, white and gold.

Although Cassandra had handed over the Teazer role to me, she could not resist posing for our new image with her ‘trusty’ snapper!

After completing Penkevyll’s new image, my creative juices were flowing, so I purchased a small ‘Obby ‘Oss known as Morvargh the Dark Sea ‘Oss. It is a good idea to own a smaller ‘Oss that I can ride when Penkevyll is unable to appear at an event. The foal is a welcome addition to our team and popular with Boekka fans.

Tintagel Carnival 2017

Boscastle 2017

All Hallows Dark Gathering 2017

Morvargh made her debut at the Dark Gathering 2017 during the afternoon. I rode her with Wreckers Morris during their Song of the Sea dance.

2018

2018 brought a surprising change to Boekka. A younger man contacted us with a desire to join a ‘dark and edgy’ team. We tried him out as rider for Penkevyll and he had good potential. He connected with the spiritual aspect of ‘Oss riding and treats Penkevyll with utmost care and respect. This is extremely important as ‘Osses should not be treated as puppets for one’s convenience and/or ego. This sadly occurs more frequently now as owning an ‘Oss has become a fashionable ‘trend’. I have acquired apprentice Teazers that connect with Penkevyll in their own way. One of them also rides Morvargh on occasions.

Chepstow Wassail 2018

Although Penkevyll’s riders were unavailable for Chepstow, I managed to find a young, tall, muscular Welshman to ride Penkevyll during the afternoon. In the evening, we had the freedom to enjoy the ceremony on the bridge without an ‘Oss to distract us.

We spent the summertime training our new ‘Oss rider and Teazers who made their official debut at the next event.

All Hallows Dark Gathering 2018

Cassandra joined the drummers of wonderful Beltane as she enjoys their wild rhythms which are second to none!

It was wonderful to re-connect with my former Morris team from 20 years ago at this event. It provided the opportunity for me to come ‘full circle’; by performing my final Morris dance with them at the All Hallows Dark Gathering. This event is truly a place ‘between the worlds’ where magical things occur!

2019

2019 had a wonderful start with the Chepstow Wassail as we invited Beorma Morris along to this event. It was fabulous to catch up with friends we had not seen in a while as we missed them after the break up of Wytchwood Morris.

This year the Maris had a Beauty Pageant where Boekka were interviewed. There were 33 Maris and ‘Osses, so we were waiting backstage for quite a while before our turn arrived.

My apprentice Teazer and I performed a choreographed dance that I used to perform with my former morris team. We danced on the bridge around Cassandra and Penkevyll.

St Pirans Day Redruth 2019

On St Pirans Day I had work commitments, so I left Penkevyll in the hands of my two Apprentice Teazers and they did a magnificent job!

Tintagel Carnival 2019

Boekka were joined by Mari Arianrhod visiting from Wales for the Carnival procession.

All Hallows Dark Gathering 2019

Morvargh took more of an active role this year, rode by one of our Teazers. I stepped in as co-organiser after the sudden departure of the managers from the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic.

2020

The Chepstow Wassail was unfortunately cancelled this year, so we attended the Brecon Wassail. It is a smaller event; however we were keen to meet up with our Welsh friends who joined us with their Maris. Our Teazers also performed with the Welsh dancers, although the dancing in my opinion was better when we rehearsed the previous evening during our drinking session!

Cassandra’s wonderful 70th Birthday Party occurred in March 2020 with our special guests – the fabulous Beltane Border Morris. After that, the pandemic arrived and it became one of the strangest years we have known as events were cancelled and the world changed beyond recognition! Let us hope we can return to normality as there are many performers missing their music and dance which is an important part of our lives!

So there you have it….10 years of Boekka and what an incredible, eventful journey! I wonder what the next 10 years will bring…… we shall see you soon!!

August 9, 2020 4

Morvargh performs at Tintagel Carnival

Yesterday evening Morvargh performed at Tintagel Carnival. There was a fabulous atmosphere and many participants.

August 6, 2017 1

Morvargh visits Boscastle

Yesterday was a fabulous day for us when we took Morvargh the Sea ‘Oss to Boscastle and introduced her to Peter, Joyce and Louise Fenton at the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic.